Metal Max Xeno: Reborn puts tanks and a battle dog in the end of the world

Humanity is on the brink of extinction in Metal Max Xeno: Reborn, a post-apocalyptic JRPG where you play as Talis, one of the survivors who must cross the wasteland of Dystokio in search of allies, weapons, and other humans.

The world was destroyed after decades of war against the artificial intelligence NOA. Now, giant machines, huge ants, and other creatures are everywhere, and it is up to Talis to stop humanity from disappearing completely.

And yes, you get a TANK.

Destroy everything? Not quite…

One of the coolest things about the game is getting inside a tank and blasting enemies. The problem is that, if you’re like me and love the idea of simply running over everything with a tank, you’re going to be disappointed.

Pieces of abandoned cars, pipes, and fallen poles can block your path. And you can’t even crush the giant ants with your tank.

It’s a tank! LET US DESTROY THINGS!

The system for getting in and out of vehicles could also be faster. You have to select the vehicle, confirm the action, leave the menu, and only then does the animation play. You get used to it after a while, but at first it feels unnecessarily slow.

Surviving the wasteland

Just like you’d expect from a good post-apocalyptic world, resources are important. Cannon ammunition is limited, while other weapons use a different management system.

You can also find materials throughout the map to upgrade your vehicles, as well as drinks and music recordings that help preserve small pieces of the humanity that existed before the destruction.

Common enemies don’t have an HP bar, so some battles can feel a little like a matter of luck. If your vehicle reaches zero HP, you can still stay inside it and try to escape.

The game makes one thing very clear: if an enemy is too strong, retreat.

And there’s a dog!

Talis can find allies and form a party of up to four characters. During battles, you can move your party members around to get better positioning.

But let’s talk about the real protagonist: Pochi.

Yes, there’s a battle dog who carries a weapon, has his own skill tree, can level up, and can even be petted.

He’s cute, he barks, and he goes pew pew pew.

There’s just one problem: Pochi stays outside the tank.

That is completely wrong.

A JRPG for those who love exploration

Metal Max Xeno: Reborn features a nonlinear open world, allowing you to explore Dystokio without being heavily restricted by traditional progression. You can find new vehicles, customize tanks, swap engines, weapons, and equipment, and build your machines however you want.

Visually, however, the game may divide opinions. The character models and especially the character artwork look a little amateurish, while the other visual elements are more appealing.

The map could also do a better job of showing where you need to go, but this ends up encouraging exploration. And in a game with a huge post-apocalyptic wasteland to explore, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In the end, Metal Max Xeno: Reborn feels like a game made for people who enjoy unusual JRPGs, exploration, vehicle customization, and, obviously, armed dogs.

You can buy the game here